Please advise on a suitable climbing plant to cover a north facing wall which is in shade due to trees and hedge opposite. Fast or fairly fast growing would be ideal and something with colour even better. Thank you

2 Jun, 2010

Answers

Pyracantha, good reliable evergreen with bright red berries, the good old Climbing Hydrangea with creamy white flowers, Star Jasmine evergreen with strong scented white flowers... all fairly quick growers and do good in shade.
Happy choosing!

Sorry to disagree, Dido, but on the assumption you mean Trachleospermum jasminoides when you say star jasmine, this plant does not do well in shady situations, and particularly not in a north facing position - it requires, a warm, sunny, sheltered spot, preferably on a south facing wall. Pyracantha will grow in shade, but not very well, tends to grow twiggy and stunted and is prone to black spot in shade.
Peter.. I did suggest a couple of other things on your other question, but if you're desperate, Ivy will always do the trick in shade - just make sure you choose a Hedera helix variety rather than any of the others. The variegated ones like H. helix 'Goldheart' can light up a dark area.

Do you think a climbing rose would succeed on a north facing wall, Bamboo? Just wondered as we have a similar situation to Peterlebreu with a cottage I'm renovating, only it is north facing on an open site, so light but not sunny.

Well according to Monty Don, the following roses do well in light shade: Souvenir du Docteur Jamain, Madame Alfred Carriere, Zephirine Drouhin. He does say light shade though, not deep dark that never ever gets sun. Honeysuckles do okay in shade too, mostly, though again, light or dappled shade.